A conductor connection system joins two conductors, which may be wires, cables, or contacts. Typical connectors of such a system include one or two channels into which the conductors are inserted.
A conventional single channel connector consists of a metal tube having a central bore. To connect two conductors, an end of a first conductor is inserted into one end of the metal tube and that end of the tube is crimped around the first conductor to secure the conductor. The same procedure is used to secure a second conductor in the connector.
Connectors of different bore diameters are provided for connection to conductors of different outer diameters. The bore diameter of the connector must be larger than the outer diameter of the conductor so that the conductor will fit in the connector, but must be small enough to provide a good fit between the crimped connector and the conductor.
A conventional two channel connector has the two channels arranged in parallel and separated by a metal wall. Each channel has an opening running along its length. To connect two conductors, an end of a first conductor is inserted into one of the channels so that the conductor extends along the entire length of the channel. That channel is then crimped around the conductor to secure the conductor. The same procedure is used to secure a second conductor in the other channel. This results in the two conductors being parallel to each other for at least the length of the channels.
To accommodate different conductor diameters, two channel systems are available in different sizes. The sizes vary based on the diameter of the closed channel. A conventional two channel connector can be configured to connect two different sized conductors by fabricating the connector so that the channels have different closed diameters.
Specialized tools, such as installation tools and crimping dies, are used to crimp the connectors around the conductors. The tools are sized to match their corresponding connectors so that each connector size typically requires a corresponding set of tools.